"It's great for NASCAR, a very positive thing," Moise said from her home outside Winston-Salem, N.C. "I've never met Danica, but I like her interviews. It seems her head is in the right place. It's all good."

Truthfully, it wasn't all good for Moise in the late 1980s.

She struggled to find the sponsorship and quality equipment needed to be a viable competitor.

She ran in only five then-Winston Cup races, including twice at Daytona in the Firecracker 400, and last raced on the Busch series in 1998.

She was the first woman to ever lead a Busch event and the first to win a qualifying race (1988, Talladega).

Moise thinks that Patrick's journey will be easier.

It's not just because of Patrick's success on the IndyCar circuit but knowing that NASCAR is eager to embrace the marketing power that Patrick provides.

It's no secret NASCAR ratings have declined in recent years.

With Patrick posting the fastest lap for the Super Bowl of racing, on top of her dating fellow driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr., it has created the biggest buzz for the 500 in maybe a decade.

"Things change, things progress," said Moise. "It was probably harder for [NASCAR driver] Janet Guthrie in the 1970s than for me, and harder for me than Danica. You're just glad to see change. The timing is right for [Patrick]."

As for Patrick's romance with a competitor, Moise qualifies as an expert.

She raced against Sawyer 58 times on the Busch series and believes it helped her get through some tough times.

They have no children but do have nine pets, including two horses that she trains for equestrian competitions.

"It was a plus because Elton is the best thing that ever happened to me," Moise said. "Racing is so consuming. It's hard for a civilian to understand the commitment involved. Elton understood all that. He's not somebody just to tag along with you to races."

It's too early to know how Patrick's driving career or love life with Stenhouse will turn out.

Moise wishes that she had a better career on the track, but she has no regrets.

"I didn't reach my goals as a driver," said Moise. "But with [marrying] my husband, I feel I won the Cup championship."